Chapter Four: The Value Lies in Participation

“Old Liu, is what you told me true? The Bayi Football Team is going to set up youth squads? They’re planning to create teams for every age group from five to seventeen? I thought Bayi used to pick players directly from football teams in the various regional military units. Why are they building youth squads now?” Long Yuyun handed Coach Liu a cigarette, his voice tinged with urgency.

“Would I lie to you?” Coach Liu sighed. “It’s a professional league now. This year Bayi did well, but the old way of gathering the best from all the military units across the country just doesn’t work anymore. A professional club needs its own youth development system. What’s more, back when we were under the old sports committee system, Bayi was the team every player wanted to join. But now, we don’t have the financial means to attract top players. Next year, the Chinese Football Association will open up the transfer market. I’m afraid all our current players might be lured away by other clubs offering higher salaries. In these circumstances, if we don’t build our own youth system and cultivate talent from within, how can we survive?”

“Really? But our players are all active-duty soldiers. Would they actually leave?” Long Yuyun’s mouth hung open in shock.

“It’s not like it’s treason or desertion. What’s the problem?” Coach Liu forced a wry smile. “The higher-ups have already agreed. Since Bayi is playing in a professional league, we have to follow the rules of professionalism. Even if they transfer out, they won’t lose their military status. Everyone has their own ambitions—you can’t force them to stay.”

“That’s true. That’s how it works abroad. After all, they’re just soldiers, not bound for life to Bayi’s sports corps…” Long Yuyun’s voice drifted, a little dazed. “In that case, it looks like building a youth system is a must.”

“Exactly. Economically, we can’t compete with others. If we lag behind in developing young talent too, then forget about winning the championship—just staying in the top division would be a luxury. That’s why all of us coaches are traveling between military regions, looking for promising youngsters. The kids in all the military compounds are like our own. Bayi may not have money, but we do have plenty of people.” Coach Liu smiled.

“That’s true. If you talk about reserves, our three million People’s Liberation Army soldiers are all potential players.” Long Yuyun chuckled. “But you coaches are going to be run ragged.”

“Tell me about it.” Coach Liu sighed again. “Luckily, we usually have chances to travel to the different regions on business, and everyone has their own contacts. Otherwise, we’d be floundering around like headless chickens, and that would be laughable. For example, I know you in the Xinjiang Agricultural Corps. Having a local contact makes everything easier.”

“I promise I’ll help however I can,” Long Yuyun said with a grin. “Just tell me what you need.”

“It’s nothing much. I just need you to spread the word: in half a month, there’ll be a selection trial in Lanzhou. Any kid from the military compounds aged five to seventeen who likes football can try out. We want all age groups. The two army groups, four infantry divisions, and the Agricultural Corps under Lanzhou Military Region will all send people. Spreading the word is a job for a local like you!”

“No problem. I’ll notify every family with kids of the right age. Whether they decide to go or not is up to them, though!” Long Yuyun replied.

“I understand. Everyone has their own ideas, and not every kid is suited for football. Besides, do you know how many soldiers in the entire army have kids of the right age? If they all showed up, we’d never finish the selection—not now, not even in the next century!” Coach Liu laughed.

Long Yuyun thought about it and agreed. With three million active soldiers in the army, apart from a few recent recruits and high-ranking officers, most are between twenty-four and forty, and many have families. By that count, the army really is a tremendous talent pool.

“Oh, by the way, Old Long, I don’t care about the others, but make sure to bring that little fellow who juggled the ball over ten times. Even if Instructor Fan doesn’t want his son to play football, you’ve got to persuade him. That child is gifted—his feel for the game is better than most ten-year-olds!” Coach Liu didn’t mention physical fitness; after all, what child from a military compound wouldn’t be physically robust? For Bayi, strong players are everywhere, but talented kids with real football sense are rare. Otherwise, Coach Liu Guojiang wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to bring Hao Dong from Qingdao to Bayi all those years ago.

“Don’t worry. Old Fan loves to watch football, and besides, who wouldn’t want to send talent to our army’s team? If he objects, I’ll talk him around!” Long Yuyun replied confidently. “Actually, Old Liu, I’m thinking about sending my own son. Do you think he has a chance?”

Coach Liu paused. Whenever Long Yuyun mentioned his son, he felt a dull ache on his forehead—after all, no one enjoys being hit in the face by a ball kicked by a five-year-old. And honestly, he hadn’t seen anything particularly remarkable about Long Bìshèng.

“Well… I can’t be sure,” Coach Liu chose his words carefully so as not to hurt his old friend. “He’s physically strong, but you know as well as I do, we’re not lacking players like that. The competition will be fierce, and Old Long, Lanzhou Military Region isn’t exactly a traditional football hotbed. We only have two spots in each age group.”

“I see…” Long Yuyun sounded disappointed. But it made sense—each team can’t have dozens of kids, and the football powerhouses in the country are up north and down south, while Lanzhou’s underlings are football deserts. Two places per age group is already generous.

“It’s the participation that counts, Old Long,” Coach Liu comforted his friend. “Besides, your boy is only five. There’ll be plenty of opportunities in the future—there will be many more selection trials.”

“You’re right,” Long Yuyun replied, sounding a bit listless. He knew his own son was the kind who could only watch from the sidelines, even among the kids in their compound, let alone up against the best in the military region. Even if Lanzhou was a football wasteland, there’d still be a few promising kids out there.

Seeing his old friend so downcast, Coach Liu felt bad too. But he was just a coach; his job was to select, and with the Bayi Sports Corps operating on a tight budget, he couldn’t afford any mistakes.

They chatted a little longer about other things, then Long Yuyun saw Coach Liu off and finally left.

P.S.: Another chapter at eight o’clock. Please support the novel! Three chapters will be uploaded tomorrow!